Admission
Undergraduate Programs Admission
Admission to Herron School of Art and Design is based on the student's previous school record and may also require a visual portfolio. All Herron applicants must first be admitted to IUPUI. Students may be admitted to Herron based upon outstanding academic achievements. Other students who qualify for admission to IUPUI may be admitted to Herron through a visual portfolio. Students enrolled at other schools or divisions of IUPUI may apply for Herron admission the semester before beginning Herron courses. To transfer, they must have at least 12 credit hours that apply toward a Herron degree and a 2.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA). IUPUI students must file an application for priority admission by October 1 for spring admission and March 1 for summer or fall admission. Please contact the Herron Student Services Office at (317) 278-9400 for more information. All students are admitted into Herron as pre-fine art, Art History, or pre-art education majors. To be admitted to a Fine Art or Art Education major, a student must go through the portfolio review process, which occurs after students complete the freshman Foundation Program courses and nine or more credit hours of sophomore-level studio work. Students interested in Art History may be directly admitted into that program and do not have to go through the portfolio review process.
Admission with Transfer Credit
Students with transfer credits from other colleges or universities may be considered for admission to Herron. Transfer students may receive credit for successfully completing academic courses (grade of C or higher) of equivalent content from other regionally accredited institutions. Transfer credit for studio art courses, however, is granted only from institutions with National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) accreditation. Credits for studio art courses from institutions not accredited by NASAD may be eligible for evaluation toward a Herron degree program. Transfer students ready to register for 300-level studio courses must submit a portfolio for review. Students who are eligible for advancement will be notified by the Herron Student Services Office after admission to the university. Review dates and guidelines will be determined by the individual degree programs.
AP Credit
A score of 5, 4, or 3 on the Art History AP Exam will be counted as either HER-H 101 or HER-H 102. Students should contact their advisors to elect which course they prefer to use the AP credit towards. A score of 5, 4, or 3 on the AP Fine Arts Exam will be counted as a studio elective. Herron will not accept an AP score of 2 or 1.
Readmission of Former Students
Former students in good standing who withdraw in accordance with the regulations of the school and who desire to return within two years of their departure should contact the IUPUI Office of Admissions. Students who have been gone for two or more calendar years must follow the current bulletin requirements and meet all departmental curriculum requirements offered at the time of their return. All B.F.A. students who interrupt their major course of study for more than five calendar years are required to pass a faculty portfolio review prior to enrollment in 300- or 400-level studio courses. B.A.E. students who interrupt their art education program for more than five years must re-apply to the program and complete the requirements in place at the time of return. For Visual Communication students, no major course completed more than five years previously will be accepted toward the Visual Communication graduation requirements. Former students whose standing was not satisfactory at the time of withdrawal, former students who withdrew without compliance with the regulations of the school, and former students who were terminated on the basis of performance, must apply in writing to the Herron Student Services Office, 735 West New York Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, for consideration by the Student Affairs Committee. See section on ''Petition for Readmission." Petitions are due to Herron Student Services Office by October 15 for spring admission and April 15 for fall admission.
Academic Sequencing
The studies at the Herron School of Art and Design are sequential, in that a student moves through definite programs of prescribed and optional studies on a year-to-year basis until all the requirements for a particular degree are fulfilled. Students who fall behind in fulfilling degree requirements at a particular year's level will be expected to fulfill those requirements in sequence, either in conjunction with or in place of courses offered at the next level. Conflicts in scheduling may occur when students try to make up requirements, and they may find that their enrollment must be extended beyond the original graduation date. Students are therefore strongly advised to carefully plan their academic schedule.
Awarding of Credit
Herron School of Art and Design awards credit in accordance with the standards and guidelines of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
An undergraduate credit hour corresponds to approximately 3 hours of work per week for a period of one semester. Thus, a 3-credit course corresponds to approximately 9 hours per week for a period of one semester. A 3-credit lecture/discussion course typically meets with the instructor 2.5 - 3 hours per week, with the expectation that students will work, on average, 6 or more hours outside of class per week. A 3-credit studio course typically meets with the instructor 4.5 – 6.5 hours per week, with the expectation that students will work, on average, 3-5 hours per week in the studio outside of class meeting time.
When a course is offered for a period shorter than or longer than one semester, or when the course is taught in a hybrid or alternative format, the credit hours are calculated on the basis of the norms described above. Since students work at different rates, the amount of time an individual spends preparing the work required for class may differ from the averages on which credit hours are calculated. Credit is only awarded when students complete all course requirements and demonstrate the competencies defined for the course. Ultimately, the amount of credit awarded per course reflects the expectation for students' acquisition of competencies rather than the number of hours required to achieve those competencies.
Advanced courses typically require students to work more independently than introductory courses. Faculty contact for graduate courses may reflect both the expectation of significant independent work and the type of work done during class meetings.
Herron Expenses
A Herron student will spend approximately $1,300 on books and supplies during a school year. Lab fees are charged for materials used in certain studio classes. A Herron program fee is assessed to all Herron students based on the number of credit hours taken each semester. The lab and program fees are subject to change. Current information can be found at the Bursar's website at www.bursar.iupui.edu.
Portfolio Review for Advancement
In order for students to be admitted into the majors in which they will earn their degrees at Herron School of Art and Design, they are required to pass a portfolio review for advancement (this requirement does not apply to Art History majors). To be admitted to the upper level courses required for the majors, students must pass the portfolio review. Therefore, completion of portfolio review requirements does not guarantee advancement into the major. The decision of the faculty conducting reviews is subject to review by the Dean of the School. The Dean's decision is final.
Policies for Sophomore Advancement Review in Fine Arts, Visual Communication, Art Education
The purpose of Sophomore Advancement Review at Herron is to evaluate student achievement in the first two years of their education at Herron prior to being accepted into the major field of study and undertaking the advanced sequence of coursework. Review is an occasion to assess minimum technical competencies, to assure that students are beginning to integrate their areas of learning at a level appropriate for a sophomore level student, and to remedy any deficiencies. The review is also an occasion for programs to assess their own effectiveness, allowing faculty to observe and respond to areas of strength and weakness in their curricula.
Eligibility for review:
Note: A student may only undergo review three times.
1. Completion of Foundation year studio courses
2. Completion of 6 credits of Art History
3. Completion of 9-18 credits of 200-level studio courses (specific courses may be specified by department)
4. Minimum GPA in Herron studio courses: 2.5 B.F.A./ 3.0 B.A.E.
5. Minimum cumulative GPA in all IU courses: 2.5 B.F.A./ 2.8 B.A.E.
6. B.A.E. candidates must pass the PSST or be exempted by sufficient SAT, ACT, or GRE scores, or a master's degree from a regionally accredited institution
7. Completion of ENG-W 131*
8. B.F.A. candidates must complete ENG-L 105 or ENG-L 115*
9. B.A.E. candidates must complete HER-M 220 Art Education and New Media*
10. B.A.E. candidates must complete COMM R110*
*Students may stand for review prior to taking ENG W131, L105, L115, or COMM R110, but must complete these courses prior to embarking upon 300-level coursework. Completion during the summer before the junior year may be required.
OR
Students transferring to Herron with the AFA degree from Ivy Tech Community College will be eligible for sophomore advancement review after taking 9 credits of studio art at Herron. The following courses are strongly recommended for students in their first semester at Herron as they prepare for sophomore advancement review:
HER-D 202 Drawing IV (3 cr.)
ENG-L 105/115 English Literature or any literature class (3 cr.)
HER-X 2XX 200-level studio course in area of intended major (3 cr.)
HER-X XXX Any studio course within or outside of the intended major (3 cr.)
HER-H 103 Introduction to Contemporary Art (3 cr.)
Faculty review teams may base their recommendations on:
1. Consideration of students' grades in all or in selected courses taken. Grades may count for up to 25% of the evaluation.
2. Students' work presented at Review and their ability to speak and write about it as directed. The work and students' presentations of their work may count for at least 50% of the evaluation.
3. Assessment of students' likelihood of success in their intended majors. This evaluation may be based on students' oral or written responses to questions posed during review or in the preparatory materials, evidence in the work presented at review, or students' conduct during the review process. This may count for up to 25% of the evaluation.
Review Recommendations:
Passed: Students advance into their chosen majors and register for upper level courses. No further reviews are required.
Probation: Students are advised of areas of weakness and are given remedial instructions to address these areas. These may include specific courses to be taken before advancing into upper level coursework, or courses to be taken in conjunction with advancing into upper level coursework. Summer course offerings should address the need for remedial work as much as possible. Students will be assigned a faculty mentor to assist them with improving the identified weaknesses. Subsequent review may be required and should be available to students within seven months.
Denied: Students may not advance into upper level coursework. Students may continue to enroll in 100- and 200-level courses and may present themselves for review in the same department or another at the time of their own choosing. A student who is denied advancement may schedule a meeting with a member of their review committee to discuss their portfolio. Denials should be rare.
After review:
The review committees will submit their recommendations to the Dean and the department chairs.
Students will be informed of their official results by Student Services staff within two weeks.
Last updated: March 2012